www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1034099_sho..._
I like the quote from Tom Tom: It's the fault of the road classification. Er no, it's putting inappropriate roads onto your system and halfwits who switch off their brains when they switch on their sat nav.
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I like the quote from Tom Tom: It's the fault of the road classification. Er no it's putting inappropriate roads onto your system
Err No they could be right. If OS classified it as a B or C road, who knows better TomTom or OS? you expect mapping companies to drive *every* inch of *every* road to ensure its suitability when they have *paid* the OS for that service in the first place?
> and halfwits who switch off their brains when they switch on their sat nav.
Clearly there is an element of "engage sat nav = disengage brain" at work
Edited by Altea Ego on 29/01/2008 at 10:50
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Clearly there is an element of "engage sat nav = disengage brain" at work
Strange, maps nver got people into that sort of trouble, when you are reading a map and get to a farm track when it is supposed to be the M62 you dont plough (sic) on regardless, why when it is a satnav?
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Actually, knowing the state of the M62 that's exactly what I'd do!
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my wifes map reading skills usually got us into that sort of trouble,
My sat nav is miles and miles cheaper than a divorce
Edited by Altea Ego on 29/01/2008 at 11:30
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Strange maps nver got people into that sort of trouble when you are reading a map and get to a farm track when it is supposed to be the M62 you dont plough (sic) on regardless why when it is a satnav?
On a satnav a road is a road is a road - there is some basic programming about speed limits on some roads, but it's too coarse. The human rules of Gestalt don't exist in sat navs.
When I use a map to plan a long journey the first consideration is which motorway do I need, then which A road, then I get to minor roads. Motorways are blue (and are wide lines so they are noticed better), A roads are red (narrower than motorways), B roads are orange and narrower still - dead easy to plan. Do as much on blue roads as possible, then red, only use orange when you have no choice. If a road has no colour it's not noticed as easily so gets ignored and acts as a warning to us as users that the road will be narrow and possibly difficult to pass.
Sat nav uses a different set of rules - namely shortest or quickest, but even quickest won't do what you do manually - sat navs sometimes take you off a motorway, only to direct you back on once you reach the roundabout!
I have this every time I go to the south of Manchester say to the airport. Reading a map common sense says stay on the M60 to junction 18 (and all the motorway signs advise this route), satnav will invariably get me to leave at Rochdale and use a short stretch of motorway then an urban route with lots of lights and cameras to get me back on the M60.
My route may be slightly further (and satnav may use an alternative route to save just a few metres which in the grand scheme don't make any difference), but it's probably quicker and the rules of Gestalt mean I would not leave a blue route to use a red route to get me back to a blue route I was on in the first place! Satnavs aren't this clever, unfortunately too many satnav users think they are.
If sat navs used OS bases it would at least add a sense of commonality and the user could use GEstalt and think "the road isn't coloured, should I be going up there?", but OS digital maps cost thousands. Satnavs with full third party map coverage now cost less than £100.
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> but OS digital maps cost thousands
For full coverage of the UK - yes they do. And in Europe you would have to pay for the home country equivalent at similar money
But wouldnt it be nice. A moving bird view of a full digital OS map.
(yes I know about memory map)
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But wouldnt it be nice. A moving bird view of a full digital OS map.
I think full UK coverage for sat navs is about £4,000.
Of course I would want 3d modelling too so I could see just how steep Porlock Hill is!
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